This invention pertains generally to shaft encoders and more particularly to an encoder and pinion assembly which can be mounted on a dial type scale in place of the shaft and pinion of the scale.
Heretofore, shaft angle encoders have been employed with dial type scales to provide electrical signals corresponding to the readings of the scales. One such encoder is described in co-pending application Ser. No. 655,014, filed Feb. 4, 1976.
In order to utilize a shaft angle encoder with an existing scale, it is generally necessary to make some modification to the scale structure to accommodate the encoder. This modification generally involves making a connection to the shaft on which the dial pointer is mounted and frequently requires drilling and tapping into the scale frame to mount portions of the encoder. Such modifications must be done carefully and accurately to assure proper operation of the encoder and to avoid interference with the normal operation of the scale.